(CUMMING, GA) – Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation (Sawnee EMC) announced that it has recently donated $139,200 to the public schools and universities that are served electricity by the cooperative.  

Sawnee EMC is a not-for-profit electric cooperative.  Any excess revenue is allocated and eventually returned to the members who provided it in the form of patronage capital.  In some cases, the cooperative is unable to locate former members, and the funds are considered abandoned after five (5) years of searching.  This abandoned patronage capital is then used by Sawnee EMC, in accordance with Georgia law, to fund educational enrichment purposes within its service territory.  

Sawnee EMC provides electricity to public schools in six of the seven counties it serves.  The schools that receive electricity from Sawnee EMC are in Dawson, Lumpkin, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Fulton and Forsyth counties and each received a donation to fund an educational program of their choice at their respective school.

Including 2024, Sawnee EMC has donated $385,000 to these schools over the past three (3) years.  Additionally, Sawnee EMC has donated $21,000 to the University of North Georgia (Cumming Campus), Lanier Technical College (Cumming Campus) and Gwinnett Technical College (Alpharetta Campus) in the same three (3) year time frame.  These campuses also receive their electricity from Sawnee EMC.

“We are fortunate that Georgia law allows these abandoned funds to stay in the communities we serve,” states Michael Goodroe, Sawnee EMC President and CEO. “It is always a great day for our schools and our staff when we are able to support the education of students in our area.”

About Sawnee EMC

Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is an electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Cumming, Georgia. Sawnee serves electricity to approximately 200,000 accounts in seven (7) counties of greater north Georgia. Sawnee’s total assets exceed $881 million, with energy sales of 3.7 billion kWh and annual revenue of approximately $441 million. With a team of approximately 375 dedicated professionals and over 12,006 miles of distribution line, Sawnee stands ready at all times to meet the needs of its members/owners. SEMC strives daily to live up to their motto…

“At Sawnee EMC, We’re More Than Electricity, We’re Service”.
_{This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer}